far_landsfandomcom-20200215-history
Giant Snails
Giant Snails are a symbolic and historically significant creature in the land of Trepheon. They are a durable and practically useful animal that has been studied and even glorified by both scholars and storytellers, making the Giant Snail a legendary creature to encounter. They come in different shapes, sizes, and even colors but for the most part, the average Giant Snail has been noted to be 3 feet tall, 4 feet long, 1.5 feet wide, with a total weight of roughly 195 lbs, and have even been recorded to live up to 80 years old. While silly in nature, Giant Snails have proved time and time again throughout Trepheon’s history that they can be a great pet or a nasty pest. Legend of the Snails �� Though nobody knows where Giant Snails truly came from, their legendary tale lived on to inspire future generations. Some say that from their legend alone, the idea of a shell of protection around someone gave way to the invention of plate armor, an invention that changed the world of Azura, though no records have confirmed this. Although most of the story is regarded as fictional, scholars have noted some truth in the Legend of the Snails. When the story begins, it opens many years ago in the Eganian Sea... On a chaotic day, the clouds directed themselves to the ocean to command the land in the depths to rise. The waves crashed against each other, feeling a rumbling below that loudened. As if to answer the heavens, an island rose to the call of the sky. In this island, coral and sea slugs littered the ground, burning and breathing, both creatures struggling to survive. When the clouds parted, the sun shined below, worsening the state of the island for the animals. In this new environment the numbers of the creatures dwindled, and when all seemed hopeless for them, they had found a way to survive. By their own will to adapt, the sea slugs had defended themselves from the harmful rays of the sun by merging with the dead coral. This layer of protection gave the newly formed snails a rock hard shell which hardened from its exposure to the air. The snails then began to prosper on their once deadly island but in their time of peace, they were thrown into fate’s arms once again. The island began to slowly sink itself back into the ocean, taking the snails with it. However, an opportunity rose for the snails that had never been seen before. Another landmass, far greater than the island of the snails, rose from the ocean. This land called Trepheon, had made its way to neighbor the island, and with it came a thin strip of earth connecting both terrains. This allowed the snails to move across, which they did in the few numbers that had survived the adaptation process. Not long after the snails made it across, their island had fallen to the depths of the Eganian Sea along with the strip of land that connected it to Trepheon. For a time the snails lived peaceful passive lives and were for the most part ignored by the humans due to their simple nature. Though, that changed when the Spirits had arrived. Their knowledge of the world bestowed onto the Dormians, telling them of their divine influence over the snails. It was said that many heavenly arguments were made after Trepheon’s formation, about the small island below it. The Spirits had decided to bring it to the ocean floor once more but when they saw the snails and their will to survive, they had given the snails a chance to show their true potential. After this, the Dormians took the snails in as pets, raising them as such and feeding them legendary amounts of nutritious food. This was the cause for their gigantic size. And from the brightly hued fruit fed to them came the rich colors that bathe over the rock hard shell of the snails. Times were good for the snails but after the Fall, only the wildest ones outside of the empire’s capital city had survived. In that era, the Dormians were saddened by the loss of their great city but in their darkest moment a glimmer of hope shown itself when a large land snail crawled its way to a village in the center of Trepheon. Back then the snail was a symbol of home but now the Giant Snails represent a symbol for the impoverished, due to their common use as a food during famines. Despite this, their story is remembered by the elderly, cared for by snail breeders, and thought of when farmers guard their crops from pests. Such is the legend of the snails, a tale of strife, perseverance, and surmounting what some would consider to be impossible to overcome. Significance On an average day, farmers might see up to three Giant Snails roaming around their farmlands, usually causing no harm or even daring to enter a field. Though in larger numbers, Giant Snails have been noted to be a nuisance and a pest to deal with as their diets are large enough to leave a more than noticeable mark on farmland. To solve this trouble, a simple scarecrow could deter even a large amount of Giant Snails from eating the crops of a field. For the creature focused scholar, studies have been made to research Giant Snails, with one discovery being the material of the shells that house the Giant Snails. This shell seems to be made out of a rock-like material similar to limestone and Mega Snails have also been recorded to have traces of iron in them. With more discoveries being made, scholars hope to find the true origins of this creature along with the reasoning behind its strangeness and adaptability. For the common man, a Giant Snail means a lifelong companion or a satisfying meal fit for a day. Their recipe for consumption is simple to learn but their taste increases parallel to the way it was raised and cooked with. They are cared for and even played with at times by children who have passed down an old Dormian game which pits two snails in a simple racing game. As a story, they do not have just one but several folktales still talked about today. Uses While their main purpose is to be kept as either a pet or as a cheap food source, Giant Snails also provide a different use unknown to the common populace. If many Giant Snail shells are collected, the color can be “drained” from them, becoming a usable dye. This specific technique is guarded by certain merchants who sell the dye as a commodity to anyone with enough money. Snail breeders combine different snails to create various dyes as well and often hire hunters to seek ones of specific shades. The reason for this is due to the popularity of Giant Snails among nobles who enjoy seeing their colorful shells. The colors vary from the regions where the shells are collected. Besides their use as a source for dyes, alchemists have learned to use snail slime to create anti-aging creams which has become moderately affordable to the peasantry. Though just like the dye merchants, these alchemists also require large amounts of snails and a recipe for concentrating the slime. While none of the aforementioned techniques harm the snails in any way, the best way to maximize profit is to sell the snails to a chef, breeder, or someone willing to take in the snail as a pet. Another use for Giant Snails are as mounts that short races may decide to ride. Typically the races you would see using Giant Snails as mounts include goblins and gnomes. Dwarves are not usually seen riding these unless they’re lightweight. When used as a mount, their owners grind down the rock shell carefully so they may carry their weight. This increases the carrying capacity of the Giant Snails to the point that goblins/gnomes can attach small carts that can be drawn by the snails. Lastly, some farmers have been known to buy Giant Snails from breeders for use in their fields. They strap a plow to a Giant Snail and attach a fishing rod that leads the Giant Snail’s direction of movement by using bait hooked onto the rod. This baiting technique is also used by snail riders. Diet It is commonly known that Giant Snails are herbivores but the limits of what plants they can eat seem unknown, with some owners jokingly regarding their pet snails as spatiomancers that erase plant matter from existence. What is known is that Giant Snails have been seen picking bushes and treetops clean in a matter of minutes to hours respectively, leaving any sticks, bark, and roots untouched. They mostly prefer eating things such as tomatoes, edible mushrooms, grapes, and even prickly pears but have been known to eat any green vegetation they come across or are fed by their owners. Another thing to note is how often they eat, depending on their purpose, an owner may feed their pet snail things like nutritious fruit or simple plant mush made from grass and leaves. A Giant Snail that eats nothing but plant mush will eat more often while one that’s fed a large amount of juicy fruits will hardly need to eat at all for several weeks, making them ideal to have on ships as a source of fresh food. Regional Differences Northern region/Nerius Giant Snails Shell coloring is light gray or white. Snails found in this region excrete slime that is commonly used by northern alchemists or carnomancers that delve into alchemy to create a waxy ointment used to keep people from frostbite. The ointment is applied to the skin directly and dries up in a few hours. Most snails found in this region also tend to produce the smallest of the Giant Snail species, with most of them having half of the average measurements of native Trepheon snails. A known place of this variant is near the Mountain Spire. Note: This variant is the only one of the snail species that creates the ingredient to make the waxy ointment. These type of snails are harder to find but are usually found gathered together in one specific spot, like damp caves. Western to Central region Giant Snails Shell colors come in shades of red and light purples. These Giant Snails tend to enjoy climbing trees though have been noted to become pests when out and about the land. Eastern Giant Snails Blue and green colored shells. Similarly to the West to middle region Snails, Giant Snails in this region have a tendency to gather near beaches or in the treetops of forests with rich soil while also being regarded as occasional pests. Southern Giant Snails The Giant Snails in this region have shells that have hues of orange and yellow. These have been found to be more resourceful with their water, usually coming out at night in search of water or food. The ideal spot to find these snails in the daytime are in areas of shade or near cacti. Mega Snails An untamable variant of the Giant Snails species. This variant is even larger than its ’normal sized’ brethren with the largest recorded Mega Snail measuring up to 15 feet in height. Besides the sheer size of the Mega Snails, another major difference is the way they function. Mega Snails have a tendency to be found in hibernation while in places such as caves, treetops, and ravines. When they awaken, they release a large amount of slime that coats everything around it, making the ground and any walls around it slippery and hard to cling on to, even with the proper gear. Another ability that Mega Snails have been noted to have are their eyes, which are covered in a layer of protection that doubles as its main offense. This protection around their eyes allows Mega Snails to bash things with their eyes. Though due to their lack of judgement in fights, usually end up causing the snail to accidentally damage itself or its surroundings. When surveying its surroundings, it will openly attack whatever woke it up by bashing them. While not hostile in nature, it will attempt to strike things it deems a threat to it. Note: Mega Snails are for event use only by use by mods. This may be subject to change.